Hi there from Mesa - I'm in a similar boat. I've been in the desert for a long time now, but am trying to become more self-sufficient and am having some success with a small garden on my tiny plot. I'll be checking out Brad's resources, and am happy to connect with someone else in the area trying to achieve the same goals. I've very new to permaculture, actually just learned about this forum from a book I'm reading. I'm looking forward to learning more and reducing my carbon footprint.